


Like A Fruitcake In A Haystack (2011)

by JennyB



Series: Advent 2011 [20]
Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Advent Challenge 2011, Established Relationship, M/M, Playful teasing, Podfic Available
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-20
Updated: 2011-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-05 20:50:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1098458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sanzo's going to have fun on Christmas Eve - whether he likes it or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like A Fruitcake In A Haystack (2011)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nyghtrain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyghtrain/gifts).



> Written for Advent Challenge 2011. Prompt: 'Hakkai makes Sanzo go on a reluctant scavenger hunt for his present'.
> 
> Podfic (by the lovely Kansouame ♥♥) here: [Take a Listen!](http://www.mediafire.com/?o1psagn16iz5jun)

Sanzo couldn't believe it.

He tried the locked door again, and then his eyes drifted back to the note and he scowled.

 _Merry Christmas, Sanzo! I know you're typically not one for celebrations, but I promise you'll enjoy this one. All you have to do is follow the clues and find the key. It shouldn't be too difficult for you - not if you've been paying attention!_ ^_^

Okay, he _could_ believe it. This wasn't the first time he'd been caught up in one of Hakkai's games.

He pulled out his gun and aimed it at the lock, intent on shooting it out, but then he thought better of it. He'd known Hakkai for quite a while now, and he understood his moods better than anyone else. The brunet was feeling _playful_ , a terrifying thought in and of itself, and Sanzo knew that if he didn't follow the rules of the game there would be hell to pay. Hakkai could be petty and would hold a grudge for a long time, going out of his way to make Sanzo's life miserable using every passive-aggressive tactic at his disposal. Sure, Sanzo could be cruel, but Hakkai had sadism down to an art. He sighed and reholstered his weapon, and then pulled the small envelope off the door to start his treasure hunt.

_Parson Brown is waiting for you outside. He'll have your next clue!_

Sanzo made a face. "Who the hell is that?" he asked aloud, even as he turned and headed down the stairs. He paused when he reached the front desk, and he wondered if maybe Hakkai was referring to one of the locals. The brunet often talked to the various townspeople, and given Hakkai's comment about paying attention, it made sense. He turned to the desk clerk. "Hey, do you know where I can find Parson Brown?" he asked.

The girl gave him a blank look. "I'm sorry, who?"

Sanzo snorted and shook his head. "Never mind." Irritably, he headed outside so he could have a cigarette, and as he smoked, he silently cursed Hakkai for making him do something so stupid as a scavenger hunt. He crushed out the filter and stuck his hands in his pockets, his eyes narrowing in thought. After about five minutes, he swore and lit another smoke. He scowled when a small child ran out of the inn behind him, jostling him slightly. "Tch. Little brats." He watched the boy run across the street and into the empty field, a delighted laugh escaping him as he joined his two friends in building a snowman. He watched them struggle to heft the head onto the body, and rolling his eyes, he flicked the rest of his cigarette away and went to help them.

"Gee, thanks Mister!" they said once the third snowball was in place, and they started to dress the snowman in top hat and scarf. "Now this other guy has a friend!"

"Other guy?" Sanzo arched a brow, and looked at the other snowman. It was wearing an ecclesiastical collar and a black vest, and on the pocket was a name tag that read, 'Brown'. Sanzo's jaw clenched tightly; he knew where the snowman had come from, and it didn't take him long to find the card squirreled away in the vest pocket, along with a small candy cane.

_I hope you enjoyed walking through my Winter Wonderland. Now I want you to listen for the Silver Bells...There's one place in town you'll hear them!_

Sanzo growled and crumpled the piece of paper up in his fist and tossed it over his shoulder. "What a stupid fucking clue," he muttered, and he headed back toward the inn, intent on getting the innkeeper to give him a spare key. Sanzo didn't care if he pissed Hakkai off. He was getting tired of traipsing around in the snow.

"Hey, Mister! Mister!"

Sanzo felt a small tug at the bottom of his coat, and he saw the three little boys staring up at him, one holding the piece of paper. "Are you playing a game?" the one asked. "Can we play, too?"

"I'm not playing. You can do what you want."

"Really?" The three exchanged excited looks. "Thanks, Mister! I hope we find treasure! We'll share it with you if we do!" They ran towards the square, singing the first verse of the Christmas carol.

"Yeah, you do that," Sanzo said as he slid a cigarette between his lips. He was just about to the door when he felt that same tug on the bottom of his coat. "What?"

"Mister? We can't reach. Can you help us?"

"Tch." He let the boy pull him to the corner where the other two waited. They were staring up at a light post, to which was tied a set of silver jingle bells and a card. Holding his cigarette between his lips, he leaned his weight against the pole with one hand, and stretched up to reach it with the other, then handed it to the trio.

_It's not the best crib for a newborn babe, but under the circumstances, it worked..._

Sanzo ground out his cigarette with the toe of his boot. "What? A dresser drawer?"

The boys looked at him and then exploded in peals of laughter. "No!" they shouted. "It's _Away in a Manger_!" One of the boys grinned. "There's a small barn behind the inn! I bet it's there!"

"Fill your boots," Sanzo remarked. "I'll wait out front." He'd just sat down on the bench when the three scrambled around the corner, their eyes wide and excited. 

"We found it!" one shouted as they skidded to a halt in front of the blond. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the crumpled card. "It was under a pile of hay!"

"There was a fruitcake in there, too!" one of the other boys said as he pulled the small loaf out and offered it to Sanzo. It was a little bit squished from shifting around inside of his jacket as he'd run. "Sorry..."

Sanzo made a face when he saw the cake and waved off the apology. "Keep it," he said, and then waited for the first boy to continue. 

The boy nodded, and smoothed the card with his mitten before he read:

_The three kings arrived at the manger after traversing four places first. Visit the most logical for the next clue._

The three boys put their heads together in a small huddle, talking excitedly. Sanzo caught the occasional hummed snippet of a song, and then an excited, 'Yes!' The third boy grinned, and listed off on his fingers, "Field, fountain, moor, mountain. We've got a fountain in the town square!" Two of them grabbed Sanzo's hands and pulled him along after the third.

"There it is!" the second boy said as he released Sanzo and pulled the card from the lion's mouth. He unfolded it and handed it to the priest.

_Just one more clue before the end. If Santa Claus is Coming to Town, he's going to need to hook Vixen and Blitzen up to something..._

"What are Vixen and Blitzen?" Sanzo asked as he fished another cigarette from his pocket. He thought they sounded like names for Gojyo's tarts.

"Reindeer," the second boy said.

Sanzo snorted as he lit it. "Reindeer. So, Santa Claus uses them like horses, right? Try a stable."

The three boys grinned widely. "We've got a stable," said the third boy.

"Great. I'll be in the bar." When he reached the inn, Sanzo ordered himself a beer. He was halfway through the second one when he felt that now-familiar tug on his coat. "Hey, Mister?"

Sanzo swivelled around on his stool and looked down at them. "Now what?"

"We can't figure out the last clue. Will you help us?"

Sanzo met the three anxious faces, and he rolled his eyes. "Tch." Grabbing his beer, he moved to one of the booths, unable to stop the smirk as the three boys clambered eagerly up onto the bench on the other side. "What have you got?"

The first boy passed Sanzo the slip of paper.

_Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is quite delightful. You must be cold by now...I think you've earned your present and a reward for being a good sport._

"This key was tied to it. We can't figure it out."

Sanzo took the key, his brow furrowing slightly. "It's the key to the treasure," he said finally. "Here," he handed each of the boys one hundred yuan, and the candy cane from before. "You win."

The boys exchanged looks, then grinned excitedly. "We did?"

"Yeah. You did. Now go home before your mothers wonder where the hell you are." He watched the boys as they scurried out of the booth, and he shook his head as they giggled and ran from the bar. "Stupid little brats." He held the key in his hand for a long time, just looking at it, and then he finished his beer and got to his feet.

He hesitated outside the door to his room. If he went in, Hakkai would think he'd played his stupid game, and while he wouldn't think twice about lying to anyone else, he didn't know if he was prepared to do it to Hakkai. He supposed he could always confess to letting the three boys play and deal with his annoyance. Either way, he'd be out of the cold. He slid the key into the lock and went inside.

The room was dark, save for the glow from the fireplace. He unzipped his coat and toed off his boots; Hakkai had been correct about one thing - it was certainly warm in the room. He looked around, but he couldn't see Hakkai anywhere. _That_ definitely made him nervous. Not because the brunet wasn't there, but because Sanzo knew that he was. He sensed a presence behind him a fraction of a second too late, and he found himself pressed up against the closed door, his hands pinned above his head and a warm tongue rimming his ear. "Shit..."

Hakkai smiled against Sanzo's cheek. "Hello, Sanzo," he purred, only to catch the blond's lobe between his teeth and tug gently. "You've been gone a long time."

"Yeah, well your clues were spread out across half of the town," Sanzo said irritably, though it was hard to sound too annoyed with Hakkai teasing his pulse point with soft kisses.

Hakkai chuckled. "Not hardly," he said. "Barely within a block." His mouth found purchase on Sanzo's collarbone, and he sucked gently as he slid his hands from Sanzo's wrists to twine with his fingers. "I'm glad you came back."

"God," Sanzo hissed as he let his head fall back against the door with a soft thud. He swallowed thickly, only to groan a moment later when Hakkai began sucking on his Adam's apple. "Hakkai...stop..."

The brunet looked up, his eyes faintly luminous in the scant light. "Hm?.."

Sanzo screwed his eyes shut for a second, trying to ignore the way his dick throbbed and how he wanted to ravage Hakkai right then and there. "I...didn't play your game." He saw the arched brow. "I got pissed off after the first clue, thought it was stupid, and let a bunch of kids do it for me."

The brunet chuckled. "I know. I saw you on the hill with the snowman. But to be fair, I asked those boys to help you...I know you, Sanzo. Despite how you grumble, you never say no to children. Besides, it got you away from the room for a little while so that I could prepare."

Sanzo scowled. "You could have just let me go to the bar."

Hakkai smirked. "True. But where would the fun have been in that?" He took a few steps back into the room. "Now, I do believe I said you would enjoy tonight, did I not?" Releasing his hold on the blond, he said, "I have hot sake and spicy noodles, followed by a full body massage to relax you. Afterwards, I thought you might enjoy this." He handed Sanzo a jar of chocolate mint body paint with a bow stuck to the top. "I promise to be _very_ thorough with taking it off."

Sanzo arched a brow, and then as a crooked smirk curved his lips upward he beckoned the brunet to him. When he was close enough, he said, "Fuck dinner."

Hakkai smiled. "I had a feeling you'd feel that way. It's in the refrigerator; we can heat it again later if we want." He began slowly removing the blond's clothes, his smile widening and turning slightly more wicked.

"Though, I do have to ask. What the hell was with the fruitcake?"

"What fruitcake?" Hakkai licked a trail from the middle of the blond's chest to the tip of his chin.

Sanzo groaned wantonly as Hakkai nipped at his throat. In that moment, he decided some mysteries could be left unsolved, and he pulled the brunet to him for a kiss.


End file.
